Derbyshire family loses everything in house fire which erupted in a toaster

Shamaya Stuart, 26, was forced to run from her Heanor home with her two young, shoeless children on May 3 as the flames took hold. Around 8.30am the mum-of-two was preparing a potato waffle breakfast for sons Harrison, 4, and Hudson, 2, when she heard a “crackle” coming from the toaster.

Her partner James, a retail manager, had just left for work and her two children were waiting for their breakfast in the lounge watching TV when hell broke loose in the kitchen but thankfully mum-of-two Shamaya had the sense to grab the little ones and get out quickly.

Though the blaze took hold in the toaster a subsequent fire service investigation has found the most likely cause to be an electrical originating in the fridge/freezer. Speaking about the moment the toaster ignited, Shamaya said: “All of a sudden it just went whoosh and the flames shot out the top.

"So I just grabbed my keys off the table and grabbed both the boys – who were already in the front room – and phoned 999 on the way out. The poor boys didn’t even have their shoes on. Neighbours nearby to the Lavender Gardens rented house sheltered the two youngsters while fire crews arrived to tackle the blaze as smoke billowed out of the front door.

“It was quite scary,” said Shamaya. “I’d seen the flames and I’d seen the toaster but I didn’t expect it to be as bad as it was. The entire kitchen was gone and the fridge freezer went up too. The entire house is smoke-damaged.”

Shamaya, partner James Horton, 30, and their children have lost all their clothing and possessions including the presents they had bought for Harrison’s upcoming birthday on May 21. The family is currently sleeping on airbeds in Shamaya’s mother’s living room and are hoping to qualify for repaid relocation under their landlords’ insurance policy.

However, it is still unclear whether or not the family will be eligible. Looking back on her reaction to the outbreak of the fire, Shamaya said: “The flames just shot out and they were so high, I just thought, I need to get my kids out.

"I didn’t think it would do that much damage. Maybe naively, I just thought maybe it would simmer down with it being in the toaster itself. That was the complete opposite of what happened but it was a shock to go back inside. We’ve cried a lot. Its just stressful trying to keep things together for the kids.

"I’m just shell-shocked - we’re in a daze by what’s happened. My brain’s spinning all the time, I’m really stressed. My little boy is only two and he’s taking about it all the time. When my parents put the hob on he says mum, fire, is it safe? He needs a lot of reassurance. My eldest is autistic and I had to collect him from school the other day. I could hear him in the background screaming when they phoned me.”

A Derbyshire Fire and Rescue spokesperson said crews from Heanor and Nottinghamshire's Eastwood station were called to the fire at 8.35am on May 3. She said: “Upon arrival fire crews discovered a fire in the kitchen of the property. Crew wearing breathing apparatus used one hose reel jet to extinguish the fire.

"An investigation into the cause of the fire determined the most likely cause to be accidental electrical relating to a fridge/freezer.”

A fundraising campaign has begun to help Shamaya’s family start again with new accommodation and essentials such as clothing and domestic items. Anyone wishing to donate can do so by visiting the following link: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-a-young-family-after-a-devastating-fire